Charts from my presentation and workshop at Queens College, The Campbell Dome, Sept 26, 2018

1. 1
Christopher Bishop
chief reinvention officer
improvising careers
September 26, 2018
How to succeed at jobs that don’t
exist…yet!

2. 2
• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

3. 3
• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

5. 5

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• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

12. “I refuse to issue a patent for fear it will
put my poor subjects out of work.”
Queen Elizabeth I
1589
regarding a
mechanized knitting
machine

13. •Autonomous vehicle operator
•Blockchain software developer
•Sustainable energy technician
•3D printer operator
•Data scientist
Many top jobs in 2018 did not exist 5 years ago!

14. U.S. Department of Labor predicts that
todays’ learners will have ?? Jobs by
age ??…

15. U.S. Department of Labor predicts that
todays’ learners will have 8 - 10 jobs…

16. U.S. Department of Labor predicts that todays’
learners will have 8 - 10 jobs…by age 38!

17. Estimates are 85% of the jobs today’s learners
will be doing have not been invented yet…
15%
85%
Current
Jobs
Non-existent
Jobs

18. Using technology
that doesn’t exist…

19. To solve problems we don’t
yet know are problems.

20. 20
• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

21. 21

22. Nanopharmacist

23. Robotic ethicist

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Martian geology consultant

25. Mixed reality
content
consultant

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What do these new careers
have in common?
Discipline
#1
Discipline
#2
Discipline
#3
Unexpected connections between
different disciplines

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• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

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The Thiel Fellowship gives $100,000 to young people who
want to build new things instead of sitting in a classroom.

31. G.P.A. + test scores worthless – they don’t predict anything
1. General cognitive ability
• process on the fly
• learn things to solve problems
• pull together different bits of information
2. Emergent leadership
• step in at the appropriate time
• step back and let someone else lead
3. Humility - without it you are unable to learn
4. Ownership – understanding cause and effect
• if it works, it’s because I am a genius
• if it fails, it’s because someone’s an idiot
5. Expertise - least important attribute
What looks for…

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• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

36. Future Career Toolkit
VOICE + ANTENNA + MESH =
FUTURE SUCCESS
┼ ┼
1. Voice - defining your own brand
2. Antenna – mapping what you do to what is happening in the world
3. Mesh – finding and sharing with people who value your skills

37. Future Career Tool #1 – Voice
•OBJECTIVE: Define your “uniqueness”
•What qualities make you stand out?
•What skills and experience make up your personal brand?
Keep in mind: your Voice will change and evolve over your work life
PROCESS
• Pick a favorite movie or book – current or from your childhood
• What do you like about it? Why does it resonate with you?
• Write down the 2-3 aspects of the book or movie that you relate to
• Duration: 5 minutes (individual)
FAVORITE TOPIC
MOVIE: Blade Runner Future culture, technology
BOOK: Rise and Fall of Nations Global business

38. Voice attribute Source Description
Future Career Tool #2 – Antenna
• Research 1-2 sources for each topic from your Voice exercise
• Pick a range of sources, media, channels
• Duration: 10 minutes (group)
Tracking culture, business, society, politics, technology

39. Voice attribute Source Description
Future culture Futurism Newsletter, Web site
New York Times Printed, digital
Tech MIT Tech Review Web site, print mag
BBC Click TV show, web site
Global business Bloomberg Tech TV show
Wall St Journal Web site, app
Commit to checking each of these sources – once a week, once
a month, twice a year - for new insight and perspective!
Future Career Tool #2 – Antenna
• Research 1-2 sources for each topic from your Voice exercise
• Pick a range of sources, media, channels
• Duration: 10 minutes (group)
Tracking culture, business, society, politics, technology

40. • Using criteria defined in the Voice exercise, do a LinkedIn
search for groups/people in this area(s)
• Pick 3 people to “Connect “with based on shared interest
• Find one group to join based on your topic
• Describe who you found and who you might connect with
• Duration: 10 minutes (individual/group)
Future Career Tool #3 - Mesh

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• My background
• Socio-historical perspective
• Emerging careers
• New learning and work models
• Future Careers Toolkit
• What’s next?

42. • VOICE continually reflect on what makes you unique –
know that it will evolve
• ANTENNA be diligent about monitoring information
sources and finding new ones
• MESH add five people a week to your profile – reach
for them when you are ready to move to your next job
Putting it all together…
VOICE ANTENNA MESH

43. •Monitor newly intersecting disciplines
•Leverage transferable skills
•Evaluate new job opportunities
•Be creative: invent jobs that don’t exist!

44. See you in the future…
@chrisbishop
chris@improvisingcareers.com